Since she stepped down from leadership last year, many observers expected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California to be headed toward retirement. But she has kept people guessing about her political future.
08 Sep 2023
(Every News Update)-California Representative Nancy Pelosi, who was the first woman to become House speaker and led the Democratic Party for decades, said on Friday that she would run for re-election in 2024, putting an end to months of speculation about her political future.
“I’ve made the decision to seek re-election in light of the values of San Francisco, which we’ve always been proud to promote,” Ms. Pelosi said on Friday at an organized labor event in her hometown.
Many observers anticipated that Ms. Pelosi, 83, would retire after stepping down from leadership last year after Democrats lost the House majority; However, she had kept her plans a secret from the public. Some were shocked to see her visit to Congress by any stretch of the imagination, an uncommon move for a previous speaker.
Yet, partners said she savored her lower profile as a typical part with emeritus status. Ms. Pelosi focuses her attention on San Francisco while quietly remaining a fund-raising powerhouse for Democrats in that new role. Additionally, she frequently sits in the back rows of the House floor gabbing with her closest friends.
“I am now liberated!” in a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, an enthusiastic Ms. Pelosi said.
Some Democrats speculated that Ms. Pelosi would leave Congress before or after the end of her term—possibly paving the way for her daughter Christine Pelosi, a party activist and a member of the Democratic National Committee’s executive committee—to run for her seat even though Ms. Pelosi made it clear that she would remain in her position after giving up her leadership position.
Ms. Pelosi’s choice to continue with her 36-year vocation in the House comes at a snapshot of reestablished examination on the old age and well-being status of the nation’s driving community workers — including President Biden and Representative Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the long-lasting conservative pioneer — and inquiries concerning whether they have outstayed their time in power. When Ms. Pelosi made the decision to resign from her position as speaker the previous year, she was able to somewhat shield herself from these criticisms, effectively giving herself a promotion.
People who were close to Ms. Pelosi said that the health of her husband, Paul Pelosi, who was brutally beaten with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco last year by an assailant who was said to have been targeting the speaker, was a major factor in her decision to not only finish her term but also seek another one. Allies claimed that Ms. Pelosi did not consider it necessary to quit her beloved job because Mr. Pelosi was on the right track to recovery.
“Nancy Pelosi has forever been untraditional,” said Stacy Kerr, who for 10 years filled in as a senior helper to Ms. Pelosi. ” She’s done things she as own would prefer her entire profession, driven by the requirements of her area and the country. We shouldn’t anticipate that that she won’t proceed should be a pioneer now.”
Nevertheless, Ms. Pelosi, who is renowned for keeping her own counsel, had not disclosed her plans to anyone. Individuals near her said on Friday that she had at last chosen to run again on the grounds that she likewise saw it as a dire need to reappoint Mr. Biden and help Agent Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority chief, become the following House speaker.
Ms. Pelosi is still the party in Congress that raises the most money, a political skill that could help Democrats win back the House next year.
Quickly, the National Republican Congressional Committee attempted to portray her decision to remain as evidence of Mr. Jeffries’ vulnerability.
“The babysitter said she would stay late!” Will Reinert, the group’s press secretary, said in a statement that House Democrats still relied on Ms. Pelosi as their primary source of funding.
In a web-based post, Ms. Pelosi outlined her choice to run again as one driven by nearby and worldwide worries.
Ms. Pelosi stated in her announcement of her plans, “Our city needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery now, more than ever.” America is needed by our nation to demonstrate to the world that our flag still flies, with liberty and justice for all.
As a congressional correspondent, Annie Karni was previously a correspondent for the White House. She covered the White House and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign for Politico prior to joining The Times. Additionally, she covered local politics for ten years for the New York Post and the New York Daily News. More about Annie Karni
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